Glazing construction



May 28, 1935. s. K. HUSTON JR GLAZING CONSTRUCTION Filed Sept. 10, 1934 Q [HZ/6715,07 j ry rcz ffusz an, Jr?

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Patented May 28, 1935 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE i Y 2,002,536 GLAZING CONSTRUCTION Sanford K. Huston, In, Chicago, Ill. Application September 10, 1934, Serial No. 743,397

4 Claims. (01. 108-16) My invention relates to glazing construction and more particularly it relates to glazing construction providing a support and water-proof joint for adjacent panes of glass forming the roof or side walls of buildings.

The invention provides improvements in the structure shown and described in my pending application, Serial No. 680,423, filed July 14th, 1933. V

Among the objects of the invention is the provision of a durable, simple, efficient and inexpensive glazing construction in which the supporting members are protected from corrosion and the glazing members are substantial ly free from strains and the breakageoccasioned by internal strains is reduced to a minimum.

Another object of the invention is the provision of an i'mprovedglazing construction comprising relatively few members adapted for mounting upon a rafter or supporting member in spaced relation thereto to permit circulation of air between the supporting members and the glazing members and thereby minimize condensation and corrosion and eliminate the necessity for providing electrical insulating members between the supporting members and the glazing construction.

A further object of the invention is to provide improvements in glazing construction and supporting members therefor disclosed in sundry details hereinafter described and more particularly pointed out in the claims.

Many other objects of the construction herein shown and described will be obvious to those skilled in the art from the disclosure herein iven.

To this end my invention consists in the novel construction, arrangement and combination of parts herein shown and described and more particularly pointed out in the claims.

In the drawing, wherein likereference characters indicate like or corresponding parts:

'Fig. 1 is a broken perspective viewof a unit of a skylight construction embodying the invention; j g i Fig. 2 is a cross section taken at any point coincident with one of a plurality of channel spacers positioned between the supporting membeer and the glazing construction; and

Fig. 3 is a section along the line 33 of Fig. 2. 1

Referring now more particularly to the drawing, I have illustrated only a part of a skylight unit; it being'understood that an assembly con- L struction in most cases consists of alarge number of such units, each of which rests upon and is secured to a rafter or other supporting member l by a plurality of spacer members ll fastened in longitudinal, spaced-apart relation to the rafter. s

The rafters It may be of any suitable cross section and are herein illustrated as comprising an angle bar having its top leg providing a plurality of apertures I3, there being one of such apertures for each spacer member II. The spacer members II are shown as inverted channels extending transversely to the rafter l0 and of a length-substantially equal to the width of the'rafter. The apertures [3 are preferably square with dimensions equal to or slightly greater than the width of the channel members, the latter being provided with oppositely positioned; integral clips l2, which extend through the apertures with their extremities oppositely turned away from the apertures into closely fitting contact with the lower face of the rafter.

Each channel member II has an aperture 23 concentric with the underlying aperture IS in the rafter l0 and with the apertures 23 in the middle portion of a gutter member Id. The gutter member l4 extends longitudinally of the rafter l0 and rests upon the channel members II in spaced-apart relation to the rafter to permit the passage of air. The member l4 provides a support for the glazing construction and by reason of the relatively short spans between the channel members H, is formed from relatively thin sheet metal which provides sufiicient strength to carry the load without bending or distortion. The member l4 also provides troughs on each side of the rafter which are adapted to receive and carry away condensation moisture. A bolt l5, preferably formed from brass or other non-corrosive metal, extends-through the registering apertures 23 and 24 and provides a shoulder I5 resting upon the member M. The shoulder l6 cooperates with a nut llthreaded on to the lower projecting end of the bolt to clamp the member l4 into close fitting contact with the channel member H. The resulting close fit of the shoulder IS with the top face of the member l4 seals the apertures 23 and 24 against entrance of moisture which might otherwise reach the rafter by flowing down around the bolt I5.

A cushion strip l8 of felt or similar material is positioned on top of and extends the full length of the supporting member M "to provide a seat for glazing members 19. The strip [8 is pierced by'the bolts l5,-fthe bolts being convergent upwardly from the shoulder. Compression of the strip N in a manner hereinafter described provides a cushion spacer for the glazing members I9 which also tends to prevent moisture from penetrating the strip I8 around the bolts I5. The tapered shank portions of the bolts I5 are adapted to be wedged through smaller diametered apertures in the cushion strip I8 and thereby form a ridge sloping away from the bolt. The-taper also assists the workman in acouratelypositionin'g the glazing mem bers I 9 with their opposite ends in equally spaced relation to the shoulder portion of the bolts, the bolts and surrounding ridges tending to maintain the glazing members in proper position during contraction and expansion resulting from temperature changes.

The space between therg'lazing members "I9 is' covered by a cushioning strip 29 of felt or other material and upon this is positioned acap'plate -2-I. The plate -2I has its middle portion positioned above the strip 29 with its lateral edges inclined downwardly and outwardly and terminating :in. flanges resting upon the strip. The strip 20 is pierced to receive the bolts i5 and the -.plate --2I is provided with apertures 25 through which the bolts :project upwardly. Nuts 22,-threaded on the upper projecting ends of thebolts I5 press the .plate 2! into contact with the strip 20 and the resulting pressure compresses the edges of the strips I8 and 26 against the opposite faces of the glazing members It to provide a weather-tight seal. The uncompressed-middle portion=of the strip I8 is pierced by the bolts I5 and thereby provides ridges or humps around the bolts. The ridges or humps form guides for properly positioning the glass members I9 and prevent the latter from contacting withythe bolts when the glass members expand.

From the above description it will be seen that the --member :I4 forms both a glass support and a cover which prevents condensation or outside moisture from reaching the rafter I0 and provides gutters adapted to receive and convey moisture to the ends of the construction where it may be disposed of in any suitable manner, and that the spacing between the gut ter and supporting member permits circulation of-air, thereby minimizing corrosion or electrolysis of the members, which might otherwise occur when different metals are assembled in contact. The spaces between the various mem-' bers comprising the construction, also provide pockets for dead air when the conditions within the structure are not conducive to circulation of air therethrough as is the case where there are nodrafts or the drafts are of considerable intensity. In either case, the pockets of dead air act as insulators tending to prevent corrosion and minimize or entirely prevent condensation.

Having thus-described my invention, it is obvious that various immaterial modifications may be made in the same without departing from the spirit of my invention; hence I do not wish to be understood as limiting myself to the exact form, construction, arrangement and combination of parts herein shown and described or uses mentioned. I

What I claim asnew and desire to secure by Letters :Patent is:

:1. Asupport tor a glazing construction comprising a rafter bar providing a plurality of holes in its upper edge, .a plurality 'of apertured lower end of each bolt to clamp the shoulder into close fitting engagement with the supporting member.

2. A support for a glazing construction comprising a rafter bar providing a plurality of holes in its upper edge, a plurality of apertured spacer members respectively overlying said holes and each providing detent means extending through the adjacent holes in operative engagement with the bar, a longitudinally extending supporting member resting upon the spacer members and providing a plurality of apertures respectively in register with the apertures in the spacer members, a plurality of bolts'having their lower ends respectively extending through said registering apertures and each providing a shoulder in engagement with the supporting member, and a nut threaded on the lower end of each bolt to clamp the shoulder into close fitting engagement'with the supporting member, said bolts being convergent upwardly from the shoulder to form an intermediate frusto-conical portion.

3. A support for a glazing construction comprising a rafter bar providing a plurality of holes in its upper edge, a plurality of apertured spacer members respectively overlying said'holes and each providing detent means extending.

through the adjacent holes in operative engagement with the bar, a longitudinally extending supporting member resting upon the spacer members and providing a plurality of apertures respectively in register with the apertures in the spacer members, a plurality of bolts having their lower ends respectively extending through said registering apertures and each providing a shoulder in engagement with the supporting member, a nut threaded on the lower end'of each bolt to clamp the shoulder into close fitting engagement with the supporting member, said bolts being convergent upwardly from the shoulder to form" an intermediate tapering .portion, and a cushion strip resting upon and extending longitudinally of the supporting member, said strip being pierced by said bolts and wedged over the tapering portions thereof to provide ridges.

4. A glazing construction comprising a rafter bar providing a plurality of holes in its upper edge, a plurality of apertured spacer members respectively overlying said holes and each providing detent means extending through the adjacent holes in operative engagement with the bar, a longitudinally extending supporting member resting upon the spacer members and providing a plurality of apertures respectively in register with the apertures in the spacer members, a plurality of bolts having their lowerends respectively extending through said registering apertures and each providing a shoulder in en'-v gagement' with the supporting member, a nut threaded on the lower end of each bolt to clamp the shoulder into close fitting engagement with the supporting member, said bolts being convergent upwardly from the shoulder to form an intermediate frusto-conical portion, a cushion strip resting upon and extending longitudinally of the supporting member, said strip being pierced by said bolts and wedged over the frustoconical portions thereof to provide ridges, a pair of glass members respectively resting upon the opposite edges of said strip with the edges stopping short of said ridges, and means mounted .on the upper ends of said bolts adapted to com- 

